do-it-yourself web stores for dummies

Web Stores
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
DO-IT-YOURSELF
by Joel Elad
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Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies
®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the
1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through
payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,
(978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department,
Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at
/>Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The
Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered
trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used
without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not
associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR
WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIF-
ICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR

PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE
AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFES-
SIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL
PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING
HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR
A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER
ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE.
FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DIS-
APPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at
800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
For technical support, please visit
www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in
electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007942002
ISBN: 978-0-470-17443-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Web Stores
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
DO-IT-YOURSELF
by Joel Elad
01_174432 ffirs.qxp 2/6/08 1:34 AM Page i
Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies
®

Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the
1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through
payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,
(978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department,
Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at
/>Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The
Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered
trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used
without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not
associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR
WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIF-
ICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE
AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFES-
SIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL
PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING
HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR
A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER
ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE.

FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DIS-
APPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at
800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
For technical support, please visit
www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in
electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007942002
ISBN: 978-0-470-17443-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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About the Author
Joel Elad is the head of Real Method Consulting, a company dedicated to educating people on
how to sell on the Internet, and eBay in particular, through training seminars, DVDs, books, and
other media. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business from UC Irvine, and a Bachelors Degree in
Computer Science and Engineering from UCLA.
Joel has written several books in the field of e-commerce, including
Starting an Online Business
All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies
, eBay Your Business, and How to Sell Anything on
Amazon . . . and Make a Fortune!
He has contributed to Entrepreneur magazine and Smartbiz.com,
and has spoken at regional and national conferences on the topic of eBay and/or e-commerce.
He is the lead eBay instructor for the Learning Annex in New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego,
and San Francisco. He has taught at institutions like the University of California, Irvine. He is an
Educational Specialist trained by eBay and a proud member of eBay’s Voices of the Community.
Joel has previously worked for companies like IBM Global Services, where he was a project man-
ager and software developer working for Fortune 500 clients. He operates several e-commerce

sites, including NewComix.Com, which has quickly become a low-priced leader of comic books,
toys, and action figures to US and international customers. While he was the Marketing and
Sales Director at Top Cow Productions, Joel implemented an eBay sales channel and helped
revamp their e-commerce operations. He continues to consult for various clients to add or
improve their e-commerce operations.
Joel lives in San Diego, California. In his spare time, he hones his skills in creative writing, Texas
Hold ’Em poker, and finance. He is an avid traveler who enjoys seeing the sights both near and
far, whether it’s the Las Vegas Strip or the ruins of Macchu Picchu. He spends his weekends
scouring eBay and local conventions for the best comic book deals, catching the latest movie
with friends or family, and enjoying a lazy Sunday.
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Dedication
I hereby dedicate this book to two dear friends, Anthony Choi, and Michael Wellman, who help
make my dreams a reality and make my reality that much more enjoyable. They have defined
my success with my online ventures and I wouldn’t be where I am without their help, knowl-
edge, patience, dedication, and drive. You two are my inspiration!
Author’s Acknowledgments
I have to give a BIG thanks to the superb team at Wiley for making this book a reality and trusting
me to guide the way. I have to especially thank Blair Pottenger for his infinite patience, advice,
and steady guidance, as well as Steven Hayes for his encouragement and faith. I also have to
thank Michael Bellomo for keeping me on the straight and narrow, an exhausting job to be sure.
And where would I be without the editors at Wiley, like Jenn Riggs, to make me sound so clear
and grammatically correct?
Secondly, I’d like to acknowledge the various e-commerce store owners, IT professionals, and
friends who gladly gave their time, advice, and opinions to help me craft this book: Anthony and
Yvonne Choi, Lynn Dralle, Phil Dunn, Joshua MacAdam, James Marchetti, Chandler and Sharon
Rice, and Joshua Schwartz. Also, I have to thank several assistant managers at the San Diego
Kinko’s locations for helping me as I holed up there for weeks and weeks to get this book writ-
ten. (Thumbs up to Christine Seliger and Dan Chandler.) The Napa and Point Loma locations are

ACES in my book, and the 24-hour Hazard Center Mission Valley location was my lifeline!
Lastly, thanks to my family for putting up with my late-late-night writing sessions and frequent
seclusion to get this book ready for publication. Your support is always invaluable.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at
www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Blair J. Pottenger
Executive Editor: Steven Hayes
Copy Editor: Jenn Riggs
Technical Editor: Michael Bellomo
Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner
Media Project Supervisor: Laura Moss-Hollister
Media Development Specialist: Angela Denny
Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth
Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees
Layout and Graphics: Carrie A. Cesavice,
Stephanie D. Jumper
Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Linda Quigley
Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley,
Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele,
Vice President and Publisher
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey,
Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
What You Can Safely Ignore 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
How This Book Is Organized 2
Part I: Planning and Gathering 2
Part II: Constructing Your Web Store 3
Part III: Filling In the Blanks (and Shelves) 3
Part IV: Finalizing Your Web Store 3
Part V: Promotion and Outsourcing of Your Web Store 4
Part VI: The Part of Tens 4
Icons Used in This Book 4
Where to Go from Here 5
Part I: Planning and Gathering 7
Chapter 1: Web Stores Overview: Discovering Your Purpose 9
Deciding What to Sell 9
Finding Products to Sell 13
Start with what you own 13
Pound the pavement 13

Work on the wholesale 16
Establishing Your Store Information 18
Creating a Skype Phone Number 20
Chapter 2: Developing Your Store Policies 27
Putting the Service in Customer Service 27
Finding your level of customer service 28
Writing your Customer Service policy 28
Writing Your Return Policy 32
Making Your Privacy Policy Public 34
Preparing your Privacy policy 35
Writing your Privacy policy using the Direct Marketing Association 36
Writing Your Shipping Policy 39
Writing Your User Agreement 42
Policies — The Final Word 43
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Part II: Constructing Your Web Store 45
Chapter 3: Finding Your Storefront Provider 47
Evaluating Web Storefront Providers 47
Evaluating storefront accounts 48
Evaluating storefront services 51
Picking Your Storefront Domain Name 52
Registering Your Domain Name 53
Using WHOIS to Find a Domain Owner 57
Researching Other Domain Name Options 60
Chapter 4: Yahoo! Merchant Solutions 65
Why Yahoo? 66
Yahoo! Account Types 68
Starter 69
Standard 70
Professional 70

Signing up with Yahoo! Merchant Solutions 73
Creating Your Store Design 76
Adding an Item to Your Store 80
Completing the Open for Business Checklist 83
Chapter 5: ProStores 89
Why ProStores? 90
ProStores’ Plan Types 92
Express 92
Business 93
Advanced 93
Enterprise 93
Signing Up with ProStores 95
Creating Your Store Design 99
Adding Categories to Your Store 104
Adding an Item to Your Catalog 106
Completing the Getting Started Checklist 110
Chapter 6: 1&1 eShops 119
Why 1&1 eShops? 120
1&1 eShops’ Plan Types 122
Business eShop 123
Professional eShop 124
Developer eShop 124
Signing Up with 1&1 eShops 125
Creating Your Store Design 131
Adding an Item to Your Catalog 135
Publishing Your 1&1 eShop 137
Chapter 7: Establishing Your Payment Options 145
Features, Fees, and Required Information for a Merchant Account 145
Features and Fees of a PayPal Account 149
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Applying for Your Merchant Account 152
Signing Up for a PayPal Account 154
Adding PayPal to Your Web Store 159
Adding PayPal Buttons to Your Web Site 162
Chapter 8: Laying Out Your Design from the Ground Up 165
Creating Your Store Design . . . on Paper 165
Determining Your Category Structure 167
Designing Your Web Store Home Page 168
Creating Your Navigation Bar 171
Adding Your Featured Products or Sale Items 174
Part III: Filling In the Blanks (and Shelves) 177
Chapter 9: Setting Up Your Catalog of Goods 179
Defining the Data for Your Catalog 179
Understanding RSS Feeds for Your Catalog 182
Anatomy of an RSS feed 183
Using Microsoft Excel to Create Your Catalog File 185
Creating Your RSS Feed Using WebReference RSS Creator 189
Submitting Your RSS Feed to Google Base 191
Chapter 10: Adding Pictures and Copy to Your Catalog 193
Identifying Sources of Pictures and Copy 193
Picking the Right Format for Your Pictures 195
Using Action Words to Enhance Your Sales 198
Adding Product Pictures to Your Web Store 200
Enhancing Product Descriptions on Your Web Store 202
Chapter 11: Building Your Store Features and Functions 205
Understanding Customer Accounts 205
Putting a Search Engine on Your Store 207
Bringing Discussion Boards to Your Store 207

Adding Customer Accounts to Your Web Store 209
Adding a Google Search Box to Your Store 212
Adding a BoardHost Discussion Board to Your Site 216
Chapter 12: Setting Up Your Back Office 221
Understanding Your Shipping Company Options 221
The main shipping companies in the U.S 223
Picking your shipping company 224
Shipping international orders 226
Creating Your Online Shipping Accounts 226
Signing Up with Federal Express 228
Signing Up with UPS 232
Signing Up with the US Postal Service 236
Printing Out a Sample USPS Label 239
Printing Out a Sample UPS Label 241
ix
Table of Contents
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Part IV: Finalizing Your Web Store 243
Chapter 13: Putting Your Web Store at the Hub of Your Sales 245
Updating Your Literature and Signs 245
Updating Your Online Presence with Your Web Store 248
Creating a Microsoft Outlook Signature File 250
Creating a Yahoo! Mail Signature File 252
Creating a Discussion Forum Block Signature 253
Chapter 14: Hard Facts About Your Store’s “Soft Launch” 255
Visiting Every Page of Your Web Store 255
How do I know I’m ready for this step? 256
What to inspect on each Web page 257
Inviting a Select Group to Shop Before the Grand Opening 258
Inspecting Your Store for Multiple Web Browsers 260

Testing Your Check Out Process 264
Sending Out a Grand Opening E-mail 267
Chapter 15: Load, Look, and Launch — Final Steps Before You Open 269
Verifying Your Catalog Is Uploaded and Accurate 269
Making Sure Your Store’s Information Is Correct 272
The Final Checks — Countdown to Launch 275
Testing Your Load Times 277
Creating a Backup Copy of Your Web Store Catalog 278
Part V: Promotion and Outsourcing of Your Web Store 281
Chapter 16: Getting the Word Out — Drawing Attention to Your Store 283
Using a Blog to Promote Your Web Store 283
Utilizing a Newsletter for Your Store 285
Putting together the parts of your newsletter 286
Deciding on the mechanics of your newsletter 289
Selling on Other Sites 290
Signing Up with Blogger 293
Signing Up with Yahoo! 360 297
Building and Distributing a Newsletter 301
Creating Your eBay My World Page 303
Chapter 17: Online Marketing Campaigns 307
Understanding Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising Campaigns 307
Submitting Your Store to the Search Engines 309
Submitting your site to Google 311
Submitting your site to Yahoo! 313
Submitting your site to everyone else 316
Creating a Google Adwords Campaign 318
Creating a Yahoo! Overture Campaign 325
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Chapter 18: Outsourcing Store Elements — Going to the Next Level 329
Finding Someone to Handle Fulfillment 329
Deciding whether to outsource 330
Finding an outsourcing partner 330
Hiring Someone to (Re)Design Your Store 333
Creating an Affiliate Program for Your Products 335
Placing Your Project on Elance 338
Part VI: The Part of Tens 343
Chapter 19: Ten Things Every Web Store Needs 345
Contact Information Page 345
Stellar Navigation 346
Clear and Complete Shipping Policy 346
Clear Return Policy 346
Security (SSL Certificate) 347
Fast Loading Pages 347
Customer Testimonials 348
Confirmation Page After an Order 348
Clear Product Descriptions 348
Third-Party Certifications 349
Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Designing Your Web Store 351
Keep It Simple and Professional 351
Make the Contact Information Easy to Find 351
Simple, Organized Navigation Bar 352
Let Customers Get to the Merchandise Quickly 352
Offer a Smooth Checkout 353
Choose Your Colors Wisely 353
Optimize Your Pictures and Web Pages 354
Combine Text and Graphics to Convey Your Message 354
Make Your Product Detail Pages Only about the Product 355
Limit Your Use of Flash Animation 355

Chapter 21: Ten Traps to Avoid While Building and Running Your Store 357
Overloading Your Home Page (or Any Other Page) 357
Putting Too Much Animation on the Page 358
Optimizing Your Store for One Web Browser 358
Having Music Play Automatically on Any Visit 358
Mixing Personal Opinion with Your Business 359
Accepting Only One Payment Method 359
Forcing Your Customers to Register Before They Shop 359
Forgetting to Consistently Refresh Your Content or Store Look 360
Letting Discussions or Questions Go Unanswered 360
Neglecting to Test or Optimize Your Web Page Load Times 361
Index 363
xi
Table of Contents
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Introduction
Y
ou’re not a dummy, even if you think you are. But starting your own business
can be a challenge — and then, when you add the computer part to it . . .
well, the whole thing can seem so overwhelming that you avoid it. (What? Never
crossed your mind?)
Okay, now that you’re looking at this book, you probably decided that you’ve
avoided it long enough, and now you’re going to do it — bite the bullet and build
your Web store. I want to help you get the job done as quickly as possible with the
least amount of pain. You’ve got lots of other things to do, after all, because running
your business will be the most important part.
About This Book

Web site programming isn’t exactly a fun subject — unless, of course, you’re a
programmer . . . and even then it might not really be all that much fun, because of
all the options and things you could do that might not work down the road. Some
people would rather set up a cardboard table in front of their house and try to sell
things than organize their efforts with a Web store. I’m here to help you get past the
ugly part so that you can start enjoying the benefits of being a store owner.
What benefits? Well, when you have your Web store, you have your own business,
with a set of customers, cash flow, and a brand. Yes, every Web store has their own
brand (maybe not as recognizable as Coca-Cola or IBM) that is defined by how they
present themselves, treat their customers, and operate as an Internet entity. Many
Web store owners have given up their day jobs and have the freedom to work from
home, raise their kids, and set the course of their own future. Some people keep
their day jobs, but make a nice secondary income from their Web store to help them
and their families. Then, there are the retail store owners who are joining the 21st
century and putting their operations online to reach a whole new market segment;
that’s got a global reach, by the way.
Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies shows you how to set up your Web store and
all the steps you should think about before, during, and after the setup process. I
take great pains to give you step-by-step instructions whenever possible to get you
up and running. But it’s also a real-life-situation kind of book. I show you what to
consider as a Web store owner without forcing you to pick one specific Web store-
front provider. I throw out some business techniques and give you options for how
you want to build your Web store and interact with your customers. As you’ll see,
there are a lot of things you can sell, and a lot of ways you can build your Web store.
This book is designed to be your guide, with flexibility and assistance throughout
these pages.
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Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies
What You Can Safely Ignore

Throughout the book, I include Web store tips — you can probably ignore those
unless you’re interested in that kind of stuff and want to make your life easier.
Oh, and the gray boxes that you see throughout the book? Those are sidebars, and
they contain extra information that you really don’t
have to know but that I thought
you might find useful and interesting. So feel free to skip the sidebars as well.
Foolish Assumptions
I’ll be honest — I had to assume some things about you to write this book. So, here’s
what I assume about you:
ߜ
You already know a little something about the day-to-day stuff that you need
to do to run your store — you know, figure out that you want to sell some-
thing, come with a list of products to sell, take orders, pack and ship your
products, and so on. I
don’t assume that you know how to do all that on a
computer.
ߜ
You have a personal computer (that you know how to turn on) with
Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista. I wrote this
book by using Windows XP.
How This Book Is Organized
Every great book needs a plan. I divided this book into six parts, each made up of
chapters so that you can easily find the information that you need.
Part I: Planning and Gathering
If you’ve never operated your own store or business, you probably want to read this
part. I first go into the different kinds of things you can sell on your Web store. While
many of you would think, “Duh, you sell stuff,” the answer is actually more than that.
I talk about how you can sell products at a higher margin, or how you can sell other
people’s products, as well as information, advertisements, or your own homemade
products. Then, I talk about all the different policies your Web store should have in

place before that first order comes in. Nowadays, the privacy policy is considered a
requirement, but there’s also the matter of your shipping policy, return policy, and
payment policy. Even if you don’t set them in stone at this phase, you should think
about them before building your store.
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3
Introduction
Part II: Constructing Your Web Store
In this section, I cover the essential building blocks of getting your Web store up and
running:
ߜ
How to select the right Web storefront provider (what features should you
look for, and what should you pay for).
ߜ
How to sign up with a payment processor so you can accept credit cards on
your Web store.
ߜ
How to design your store on paper so it’s easier to build the right sections.
We go into some massive detail by actually opening a Web store account with three
main providers: Yahoo! Merchant Solutions, ProStores, and 1&1 eShops. For each of
these, I show you exactly how to open an account, create your Web store, and fulfill
the basics to get it operational. (For Parts 3–5, I use Yahoo! Merchant Solutions as
my storefront provider when showing you examples. Understand, however, that the
concepts I present in this book work for any storefront provider.)
Part III: Filling In the Blanks (and Shelves)
In this section, I cover the steps you take after constructing the basic Web store-
front. First and foremost is your catalog of products, so I spend an entire chapter
helping you get the catalog created in an efficient and correct manner. Next, I talk
about the images and descriptions that will make up your product catalog, and tips
and tricks to make those as professional and appealing as possible. Then, I open up

the discussion about functions you can add to your Web store to engage your cus-
tomers and keep them coming back for more, from a discussion board so they can
chat with each other to a Web store specific search engine and customer accounts.
(For specific ways you can enhance your Web store, check out Web Sites Do-It-
Yourself For Dummies, by Janine Warner, as she focuses on the non-commerce
ways to improve your Web store.) Finally, I talk about the importance of tying your
Web store operations to the “back end,” so shipments get out correctly. I walk you
through the main shipping companies and how to set up your own store account
with each service.
Part IV: Finalizing Your Web Store
In this part, I cover a variety of steps that you should take before you start taking
orders on the Internet. Yes, you’ve worked hard to get to this part, building a Web
store from scratch and filling it with products, functionality, and a great look and
feel. But a polished Web store goes through some finalization, so here I talk about
putting your store at the hub of your sales by integrating your Web store URL into
every single thing you do in your business. I then talk about an extensive site-wide
review of the Web store, looking for any outdated or incorrect information, cleaning
up any spelling or grammatical errors, and making sure that each page is correctly
linked to each other. Finally, I have you check to make sure every section of your
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Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies
Web store is “talking” correctly with every other section, and how to put your Web
store up on the Internet early to have friends and family check it out first and place
sample orders (or real orders, whatever you prefer).
Part V: Promotion and Outsourcing
of Your Web Store
In this section, I cover all the all-too-important tasks of promoting your store, once
you’ve worked so hard to build and perfect it. I talk about ways you can build “buzz”
online through different marketing efforts like creating a blog, having a customer

newsletter, or selling on other sites, like eBay, to gain attention for your Web store.
I then move into the area of paid advertising, where you can take out pay per click
advertising ads on search engines like Google and Yahoo! to drive traffic to your
Web store. I even talk about how to send your Web store information directly to the
search engines. Finally, I discuss that “next step” in Chapter 18, when you should be
thinking of hiring employees or independent contractors to handle the “fun” stuff
like packing and shipping, or maybe even a redesign of your Web store. I even talk
about using the Internet, through sites like Prosper.com, to get additional funding or
financing for your Web store expansion plans.
Part VI: The Part of Tens
If you’ve ever read a For Dummies book, you’ve seen the Part of Tens. This part con-
tains a collection of ten-something lists. My Part of Tens comprises the following:
ߜ
Ten elements every Web store should have, from a good contact informa-
tion page to clear product descriptions.
ߜ
Ten simple design tips to make your Web store stand out from the legions of
“beginner” Web stores that savvy customers like to skip over.
ߜ
Ten common mistakes that Web store owners make and how to avoid those
traps and not infuriate your visitors and potential customers.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout the book are symbols in the margin. These symbols, or icons, mark
important points.
This bull’s-eye appears next to shortcuts and tips that make your work easier.
When you see this icon, something could go wrong, so make sure that you read the
paragraph. This icon warns you of common mistakes and ways to avoid them.
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Introduction

This icon marks any point that you want to be sure to remember. You might want to
reread paragraphs that are marked with this icon.
This icon relates to geeky computer stuff that might interest you, but really has little
impact on you. You can safely skip them.
Where to Go from Here
Just getting started with building a Web store? Turn the page. Do you have a specific
topic of interest? Use the index or the Table of Contents to find the topic and turn to
that page.
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Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies
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Part I
Planning and Gathering
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In this part . . .
I
n this part, I cover the first steps and thoughts you
should undertake when trying to build your own Web
store. Chapter 1 talks about the different types of products
or services you could sell on your Web store, and provides
a few examples. I then talk about the “back-office” elements
that any Web store owner should have, as well as some
Web sites that help provide these services for you, and
how to enroll with these services.
I then talk about an often-overlooked part of operating
your Web store, which are the policies and rules that make
your Web store function. I give examples about elements
like a privacy policy, return policy, and other policies that
should be defined before you open for business so every-

one knows the rules of your business.
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W
hen you think of opening your own store, you usually
have to consider a game plan that involves scouting out a
retail location, negotiating a price per square foot, buying fixtures,
carpeting, and lighting, assembling shelves and stocking tangible
merchandise, and planning for a grand opening campaign that
could involve balloons, a big ribbon to be cut, and lots of festivities.
Today, you can open your own store on the World Wide Web, without
physical rent costs or high-capital investments. In the United States,
as of 2007, over 211 million Americans have Internet access, accord-
ing to Internet World Stats (
www.internetworldstats.com).
More importantly, as of September 2007, Pew Internet & American
Life Project reported that 50% of U.S. Internet users had broadband or fast Internet
access at their home.
Consumers are overwhelmingly using the Internet to do their personal and holiday
shopping, which presents a great opportunity for Web stores to take advantage of
this growing population. Worldwide, Internet access is growing in practically every
country, with shipping companies making Beijing as likely a customer target as
Boston.
So, the question is raised: How can you take advantage of this growing, eager
market? In this chapter, I begin to walk you through some of the steps you should
take in the planning stages of building your own Web store. Later in the book, I
walk you through the steps of actually building, filling, and promoting your Web
store successfully.
Deciding What to Sell
It’s very common to be in this situation: You know you want to build a Web store,
but you’re unsure exactly what to sell in your store. Perhaps you own a physical

retail store and you want to add a Web store to offer multiple ways for your cus-
tomers to reach your products. Perhaps you want to close down your physical
Chapter 1
Web Stores Overview:
Discovering Your Purpose
Tasks performed in
this chapter
ߜ Determining what
to sell in your Web
store
ߜ Finding products to
sell in your Web
store
ߜ Establish your store
information
ߜ Getting a Skype
phone number
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Part I: Planning and Gathering
store and only offer your products through a Web store. In these cases, your ques-
tion is not
what to sell, but rather, which of your items would sell best in a Web
store? After all, if you sell heavy items, the shipping cost may make it prohibitive for
your customers to save money and for you to make money. (One of the reasons
Pets.com filed for bankruptcy was having to ship 50 pound bags of dog or cat food
for free or very little money.)
Let’s assume, however, that you don’t currently have a physical store and you’re
trying to decide what it is that you want to sell. One way to get started is to ask
yourself a few questions:

ߜ
What do you know? Can you turn information or experience from a hobby
into your own store? Can you identify a rare antique? Do you know what the
hottest toy should be next year? Do you know where to get all the different
types of remote-controlled cars, airplanes, and boats? Do you know the dif-
ference between an amplifier and a subwoofer? Your experience in the area
will help you identify the manufacturers or product sources, spot the latest
trends, and understand the nuances of that particular market, plus you can
identify with your customer so you know what they’ll be looking for and
what questions they might ask.
ߜ
Who do you know? It’s like the old saying goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s
who you know.” With so many e-commerce stores going up (and some of
them closing) you need to have an edge, and one way to gain a competitive
advantage is to know the right people. Perhaps you know a local business
that hasn’t sold their products online yet and needs a good partner. Maybe
you have a connection or knowledge of a wholesale source, or a good way
to get products cheaper than the average person. Sometimes, it’s as simple
as having an old college roommate who works or lives near Factory X or
ABC Distributors.
ߜ
What do you like to do? Here’s another saying, “You have to love what you
do.” If you’re going to open your own Web store, don’t do it if you hate the
product you’re selling, or you simply don’t believe in it. It’ll become a rough
enterprise if you do. Ask yourself what you enjoy doing in your spare time.
Maybe you like to work with your hands and create things. You could open
your own store selling handmade jewelry, crafts, or apparel. Your focus
could be customization, offering a one-stop shop to customize your cus-
tomer’s motorcycles, cars, or RVs.
ߜ

What are people asking you, or what are you good at? Sometimes, the
best market research can come from your immediate network. One question
I ask people is this, “Is there anything you know, better than most people,
where people are always coming to you and asking you questions about it?”
Maybe you’re the foremost expert on how to beat a traffic ticket. Not only
can you turn that knowledge into an informative product to sell, but you
can create a Web site with lots of great advice and sell advertising space
and related products as an affiliate member.
ߜ
What do you think will sell well? Ok, you’ve read the slogans, you’ve
thought about my previous questions, but deep down, this is the one
question some of you want to focus on. You want to pick a winning product
(hopefully, it’s a winning category — stores rarely do well on a single
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Chapter 1: Web Stores Overview: Discovering Your Purpose
product) that will have a healthy profit margin and sell well. Use your
knowledge as a consumer, do some research online, and ask around to see if
others agree with your assessment. I don’t think there is one “magic” prod-
uct that is 100% guaranteed to work, but I do think that if you pick the right
area, like the Apple iPod after that was first released, the success of that
product could carry you far.
If you want to draw from the experience of other small business owners, here are a
few online sources (like the U.S. Small Business Administration shown in Figure 1-1)
you can check out for ideas, research, and inspiration:
ߜ
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA; www.sba.gov)
ߜ
SCORE (Service Corps Of Retired Executives; www.score.gov)
ߜ

Your local Chamber of Commerce (www.uschamber.com)
ߜ
Entrepreneur magazine (www.entrepreneur.com)
ߜ
National Federation of Independent Businesses
(www.nfib.com/page/toolsHome)
Figure 1-1: The SBA has lots of tools to help new business owners.
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